


Before I Fall

by SoeEllyse



Series: The Crypt of Secrets [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Because over a year later I still miss Cayde-6, But for now idk it's just sweet falling in love, F/M, Falling In Love, Ficlet Collection, I mean the rating might go up if things happen ;), I'll add more tags as things happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22336336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoeEllyse/pseuds/SoeEllyse
Summary: Before the Prison of Elders, there was Thaya Xos.A bright and shining Awoken Hunter who quickly proved herself to her Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6.  With her Warlock and Titan sister at her side, they were an unstoppable fireteam that could face any mission, no matter how great the challenge, but a fire like Thaya's was hard to miss, and Cayde never missed it for a moment. He knew falling for one of his own Hunters probably broke at least ten different rules, he knew it was dangerous to feel anything like love with what Guardian's faced on a daily basis, but Thaya was like the sun, and he'd be damned if he hid in the shadows from it.Or, a collection of little one-shots of Cayde-6 falling for my precious Hunter girl, Thaya Xos.
Relationships: Cayde-6 & Female Guardian (Destiny), Cayde-6/Female Guardian (Destiny)
Series: The Crypt of Secrets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607836
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. First Rise, First Fall

**Author's Note:**

> So, long story short, I've been missing Cayde-6 a lot lately and I may or may not be fiercely determined to find any loophole anywhere to find a way to have our Hunter boy back, with or without his Light, so to scratch that itch I just decided to write some stuff and see how it goes! 
> 
> These are just some one-shots that I wanted to write for my sanity really because I kinda wanna write a Foresaken storyline with my fierce gal and her equally badass sisters to bring back Cayde, but I just wanted some backstory for Thaya and Cayde too (mostly happy times to look at when I'm writing some darker stuff for the bigger idea), so hopefully you guys like this and whenever I get this done I can hopefully keep going on and write the little loophole idea I have for saving Cayde-6!

To say Thaya had been dreading meeting her Vanguard for the first time was an understatement. Her sisters had already met theirs, Vaassa - her eldest sister and a warlock - had gotten along well with Ikora Rey, Vaassa’s strict self-discipline aligning with how most warlocks function anyway. Sesrea - her second oldest sister and a titan - faced Commander Zavala with her usual stubborn nature that ended at a moot point. 

Thaya had heard stories about the infamous hunter vanguard Cayde-6. She heard he was reckless and ruthless all at once, light-hearted but a darkness in his heart from past scars that refused to heal. He sounded like a myth, something Thaya used to hear in stories her mother told her and her sisters when they were young. She’d tried to avoid meeting Cayde for as long as she could, gather stories from other hunters around the tower about what Cayde was really like, though all the hunters stayed tight-lipped with wicked smirks on their faces. 

“You do know that we do have to speak to Cayde-6 before we can be assigned our first mission, right Guardian?” Thaya’s friendly little Ghost spoke as he materialized right by her side, orbiting around her as she looked down at the vast city below. 

“I know, Ghost,” Thaya said, trying to force her anxiety down and holding out her hand for her newest little friend to land, “Any advice for me?” 

“Eyes up, keep an ear out for your surroundings,” An unfamiliar voice came from right behind her, causing Thaya to jump and turn abruptly to see the one person she’d been doing her best to avoid today, lounging on the steps behind her, “and  _ maybe _ if you’re trying to hide from me, don’t hide in the Tower. I know this place like the back of my hand.” 

There behind her sat Cayde-6, the one and only, the legend built up in her mind since she was young and the last person she wanted to see before she knew what in the world she was even going to say. 

“Cay - I mean - Sir, hi,” Thaya said, panic in her voice as she quickly bowed, unsure of how she should entirely greet the hunter vanguard. 

“Whoa, whoa, save the bowing for the warlocks,” Cayde said with a laugh, hopping up and off the stairs and walking down to her until they were eye-level, “And Cayde, you can call me Cayde, I’m not Commander Proper either.” 

“Sorry, Sir - I mean...Cayde,” Thaya said, trying to regain the confidence she had when she first walked into the Tower. 

“Hey, relax, everyone hates the first day,” Cayde said, “You’re Thaya, right? My newest little Awoken hunter I’m going to set free to, well, kill a lot of things,” 

“Yes, Thaya Xos,” Thaya said, now smiling brightly and tucking a loose piece of her long burgundy hair behind her ear.

“Well, Thaya, glad to have you on board, after hearing what you and your sisters fought your way out of, I’m sure you’ll do great with the hunters,” Cayde said, “You know where to find me if you need me.” 

“Uhm, Cayde,” Thaya said, stopping the Exo as he tried to walk off, “do I have a mission to go take care of?” 

“Oh, right! Missions are kinda important,” Cayde said, causing Thaya to smile and relax for the first time all day. 

* * *

_ Three Weeks Later _

Cayde never really liked getting new Guardians. 

He loved his hunters, without a doubt, but when they were new and stumbling around like a baby deer, they weren’t his favorite thing to deal with. They had to be taught what to do and what not to do, and most of the time, Cayde was left to clean up their messes if they managed to leave one behind (as most new Guardians of any faction did). Every time a new hunter came along, he felt like a father left alone with a newborn baby and no idea how in Traveler’s name he was supposed to handle them. 

But Thaya Xos was an exception to the new hunter rule. 

She was self-sufficient, and when she had her sisters as part of her fireteam, there was seldom anything that stood in their way, Thaya always coming back as his shining star of the hunter faction. Every time she returned from a mission or patrol, bright blue eyes shining as she smiled from a successful mission, Cayde couldn’t help but feel proud of his newest protégé. This time, however, when she returned it was different. 

This time, her sisters helped her keep balance as they disembarked her ship, Thaya wincing in pain when she tried to use her left leg while her Ghost seemingly popped in and out of existence and circled the trio frantically. 

“What the hell happened?” Cayde asked, approaching the fireteam and helping them set Thaya down on a nearby stool. 

“Vex, they had us cornered, Thaya didn’t want to let the Minotaur we were tracking get away,” Vaassa said, her tone even and cool despite the far more worried look on Sesrea’s face, “They used some kind of jammer that shorted out her Ghost and got the drop on her, he’s been trying to heal her but he can’t keep stable enough to do more than a little at a time.” 

“I-I can reboot b-b-but I don’t know how long I’ll be d-down,” Thaya’s Ghost tried his best to speak despite his current condition. 

“You two, go tell Zavala and Ikora what’s going on, I’ll stay here and watch Thaya while her Ghost reboots,” Cayde said. 

“No, I’ll stay,” Sesrea said. 

“Sesrea, we need to tell them, Cayde is a vanguard too, he’s Thaya’s vanguard, he’s more than capable of watching her,” Vaassa said, her stern glare fixated on her younger sister. 

Sesrea gave in with a huff and a glare was shot towards Vaassa that was fairly typical from what Cayde had experienced from Zavala over the years. 

“If anything happens to her while we’re gone-” 

“Sesrea, I’m fine, go,” Thaya said, speaking up for the first time since they arrived and clearly agitated. 

Without another word, the warlock and titan left, and as soon as Cayde summoned Sundance to be by his side, Thaya’s Ghost went down for his reboot, the only thing indicating him still being alive was the blinking blue light while he reset. 

“Sorry,” Thaya said, mumbling her answer and refusing to look Cayde in the eyes. 

“About your sister? I’ve dealt with far more pissed off Awoken titans than that, trust me,” Cayde said. 

“Good to know,” Thaya said, cracking a small smile before it fell away again, “but I meant about the mission. It was stupid what I did, I just...I’ve faced so much worse since becoming a Guardian and, I just thought I could handle it.” 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you got out alive, your Ghost is alive, your sisters are alive, things could have been a hell of a lot worse,” Cayde said, finally getting Thaya to glance up at him, disappointment was written all over her face, “what happened to your leg?” 

“Minotaur shot it, it was a lot worse earlier, Ghost healed me up pretty good but it’s still rough until he’s back online,” Thaya said, leaning down and peeling back the wrappings around her wound to show a bloodied and scarred mess. 

“Ouch,” Cayde said, Sundance floating closer to Thaya’s leg and taking a scan. 

“You’re free and clear of infection at least,” Sundance chimed in. 

“Thanks ‘Dance, I think I’ve got this,” Cayde said, Sundance returning to running scans on Thaya’s Ghost once again, “It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen, so I think you’ll pull through somehow.” 

Thaya smiled, accomplishing even just that tiny task felt like a true achievement to Cayde. He knew some of his hunters took a losing battle hard, some let it roll right off of them and they got back up to try again without hesitation. Thaya took it hard now, but Cayde had a feeling she’d be up and back out there in no time wanting to get back at the Vex, but smarter this time around. 

“Remember what I taught you on day one?” Cayde asked as he caught a glimpse of her sister Vaassa and Ikora heading towards them. 

“Eyes up, listen, and...don’t hide from you?” Thaya said, giving him a questioning look. 

“The first two work out there, the last one only works here,” Cayde said, getting Thaya to laugh. 

Sundance whirled around them as Thaya’s Ghost began to flicker back to life, Ikora and Vaassa arriving just as he started to float around once again. 

“Guardian, what happened?” Her Ghost asked, slightly horrified at the sight of her wounds. 

“Long story, Ghost. Think you can fix me up?” Thaya asked. 

“Cayde, you do know your hunter was the lead on this mission, right?” Ikora asked, looking over Thaya’s wounds as well before Ghost went to work on them. 

“Wait, you were lead?” Cayde asked, shocked by this discovery.

“You signed the papers before we left,” Thaya said. 

“...This is going to be so much paperwork,” Cayde said with a sigh. 


	2. Orion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also had this chapter done today and I liked how this one turned out the most so far (I'm working on the last three chapters right now, but this one is my favorite at the moment)!

Unlike most Guardians, Thaya never had much trouble remembering things from her past life. She remembered her mother's stories, she and her sisters playing when they were young, their father teaching them the beauty of things in unlikely places. She wasn’t sure if it was because her sisters were reborn with her or some other cosmic twist thanks to the Traveller itself, but she was grateful that she had these fond memories to look back on. One of her favorites being the first time her father ever took them all stargazing, not far from their home and to take a moment of peace to appreciate the endless beauty of their home galaxy. 

Whenever she had the chance to breathe, whether it be at the end of a mission or during some rare downtime at the Tower, Thaya liked to look up at the stars and remember that all of this fighting was for something bigger and brighter out there in the galaxy. With her sisters out on missions of their own, she hated to admit that it was lonelier than she imagined, but with her Ghost safely floating by her side, she figured it was a little less lonely. 

“And that constellation, Guardian, is called  _ ‘Cassiopeia’ _ ,” Ghost said, “It was named thousands of years ago by a Greek astronomer named Ptolemy.” 

“I remember that one, haven’t seen it in a while,” Thaya said softly, watching as her Ghost bobbed around, seeming to be happy with their stargazing activity. 

“If you look far over to the edge of the Tower you can see-” 

“Lyra, also discovered by Ptolemy,” The surprise interruption coming from one of the few other Ghosts Thaya was familiar with - Sundance. 

“Sundance, where did you come from?” Thaya asked with a laugh, sitting up off of the metal crate she had decided to use as her perch. 

“Cayde was walking by for the tenth time tonight, forgetting paperwork again as always-” 

“Sundance? ‘Dance?” Cayde called out from behind them, the Exo walking on the upper level behind them, leaving them perfectly hidden from his sight. 

“She’s down here, Cayde,” Thaya called out. 

Cayde peeked over the edge, spotting them easily before jumping over the rail and landing beside Thaya on the crate, taking a seat and making himself at home. Thaya had learned to admire that about Cayde, nothing ever phased him, he was never nervous or tentative in any situation. No matter where he was, he always made it seem he had been there forever even if it was only his first time. 

“I see how it is, you’re already getting bored of me and you’re gonna leave me for Thaya,” Cayde said, causing Thaya to laugh. 

“Well, she is far more organized, and she does get to go out in the field  _ way _ more,” Sundance said, the little Ghost unafraid to tease her master right back. 

Cayde feigned his pain, hand over his heart as Sundance went right back to ignoring her master and started exchanging information about constellations with her own Ghost. 

“A shiny new Ghost comes around and she forgets all about me,” Cayde said, “What are you doing out here by the way? Isn’t it, I don’t know, incredibly cold out right now?” 

“My armor keeps me warm,” Thaya said, hugged her fur-lined cloak closer to her, “I can’t sleep and I think going to the Tower bar three nights in a row is a bit much, so I figured I’d reminisce and do some stargazing.” 

“I never understood why people did that, we fly out in the stars all the time now, why waste time looking at them from down here?” Cayde asked. 

“It’s calming,” Thaya said, “nothing to worry about, nothing shooting at you, no place to be, just taking a moment to stop and look at the stars...I don’t know, it reminds me there’s something beautiful out there in all of that chaos.” 

“Careful, you’re starting to sound like a warlock,” Cayde said. 

“Spent too much time with my sister, I guess,” Thaya said with a grin, “Have you ever stargazed?” 

“Maybe, I don’t remember it, but I’ve been around a long time, I’m sure I did once, back when I thought there was still something beautiful out there,” Cayde said. 

“There still is,” Thaya said, laying back down against the crate, keeping her cloak between her and the cold metal, “you just have to keep looking for it. Care to try?” 

“Eh, I have this paperwork that has to get done by tomorrow-” 

“When have you ever preferred to do paperwork?” Thaya asked, laughing. 

“...Crap, Zavala is getting to me,” Cayde said, “I guess I could use a break.” 

Cayde laid down beside her, their Ghost’s still floating above and spewing out knowledge here and there, barely remembering their guardians below them. He was sure to keep some space between them, but even then Thaya could still feel the heat coming off of him, thankful for the warmth that exo’s gave off. 

“What’s your favorite one up here in this...mess,” Cayde said, wildly gesturing up towards the night sky. 

“I like Orion,” Thaya said, “the hunter constellation, it’s always been my favorite one as far back as I can remember.” 

“Guess you were destined to be a hunter from the start then,” Cayde said, smiling though doing his best to hide it from Thaya. 

“Guess so,” Thaya said. 

“Where is it? I have no idea what I’m looking for,” Cayde said. 

“It’s right over there,” Thaya said, leaning in closer to him without a second thought trying to point out the three-star belt, “do you see those three stars in a line?” 

“Uhm, no, I don’t,” Cayde said, clearing his throat, “point them out to me.” 

“Here,” Thaya said, grabbing ahold of his hand and pointing him right towards the stars, “those three in a row make his belt, then there’s the outline of a person, his hands, and his bow, all right there.” 

“Huh, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it before,” Cayde said. 

Noticing now what she had been doing, Thaya quickly let go of Cayde’s hand and blushed, hoping the hunter vanguard wouldn’t notice thanks to the dark night. 

“Taking a minute to stop and look around you every once in a while might surprise you, you’ll never know what you might find,” Thaya said.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Cayde said. 

Thaya saw it out of the corner of her eyes, Cayde’s shining blue eyes looking towards her, and though every part of her brain was telling her to ignore it, she looked towards him and felt her heartbeat just a bit faster than it should have. 

“Guardian,” Her Ghost interrupted the moment, Thaya never more thankful in her life as she quickly sat up and put her full attention on the Ghost. 

“What is it Ghost?” Thaya asked. 

“You have a message for Sesrea that just came through,” Her Ghost said. 

“Is she alright?” Thaya asked. 

“Seems to be in the message,” Ghost responded. 

“Alright, let me get back to my room and I’ll read it there,” Thaya said, Cayde sitting up now beside her, “I should get going, I could really use some sleep.” 

“Right, of course, and I...paperwork,” Cayde said, pulling out the holopad he had laying beside him. 

“Maybe you’ll have a mission for me tomorrow?” Thaya asked. 

“If I can get through all of this, I hope I have something for you, can’t have my best guardian getting rusty on me,” Cayde said with a smirk as Thaya got to her feet and held her hand out to Cayde, offering to help him stand, “By the way, are you ever going to name your Ghost?” 

“I don’t know,” Thaya said, helping Cayde up and turning to face the Ghost in its deep purple, white, and golden shell floating beside her, “I never really thought about it. Would you like a name, Ghost?” 

“Oh, well, I suppose a name would be nice,” Ghost replied happily. 

“What about...Orion? Do you like that name?” Thaya asked. 

“Orion... _ Orion _ ...You know what? I think I do,” Ghost replied, “Orion is a nice name, Guardian.” 

“Orion it is then,” Thaya said, smiling as she held her hand out for Orion to now land, “let’s go get some sleep, buddy.” 

With that, Orion vanished, Sundance following suit as Cayde held out his hand for her. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Thaya asked, hopping down off the crate. 

“Bright and early, you and Orion both,” Cayde said. 

With one more smile and a wave, Thaya walked off, leaving her hunter vanguard behind her and trying to forget the bracing cold that was now starting to chill even her armor to the bone. The whole walk back to her apartment, Thaya tried to forget how she felt when Cayde looked at her, the crush she had harbored on the Exo for a few months now that blossomed shortly after her arrival at the Tower, only getting worse with each day she was trapped here with no missions to distract her. She didn’t like Cayde-6, she wouldn’t like Cayde-6,  _ she refused to like Cayde-6 _ . 

But every time she even thought of his name, she smiled, and she knew then and there that she was already past the point of forgetting this silly crush. As long as it remained that, she was fine, a crush was a crush and nothing more, something easily forgotten over time. Something that would become a memory. 

Something that wouldn’t become more. Or so she liked to believe. 


	3. Spicy Ramen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a birthday present to myself, just some happy wholesome times with a little bit of booze and of course, spicy ramen involved :D

Days had passed since the Last City had been freed from The Red Legion, the Traveller shined down on it’s chosen Guardians once again as its Light was restored, and Dominus Ghaul was dead. Guardians and civilian lives were lost, the city mourned but also celebrated its liberation, and while many other Guardians - the Vanguard included - battled to save the city, there was one Guardian who stood out above the rest and became a beacon of hope for many - Thaya Xos. 

The only Guardian to regain their light before the Traveler was freed from Ghaul’s control, the Guardian who single-handedly faced off against Ghaul without hesitation, a savior of many, including Cayde himself from the Vex loop on Nessus. The hunter who had come to him so unsure of herself and had proven herself to be a legend waiting to be told - Slayer of Oryx, Lady amongst the Iron Lords, Savior of the Last City. As a Guardian for only a short time, she had built up quite a list of achievements, and with Thaya as one of his own hunters, Cayde _most certainly did not_ point out to Zavala every chance that he could that she was one of his own and not a Titan. 

And Cayde _most certainly did not_ miss her while she was gone on her month-long mission to help Lord Saladin. 

“Cayde, I thought you’d be out having some dinner by now,” Ikora said, walking up beside him. 

The hanger was fairly quiet this late at night, all the Guardians who were due to be back from their missions or patrols usually in by now unless something had gone wrong. Amanda wasn’t too far off in the distance working on some sparrows left in her care, a few sleepless Guardians here and there unloading or loading up their ships, but for the most part, it was empty as always. Cayde was hoping to get a moment to talk to Thaya, even if it was just spent cracking jokes and maybe if he was lucky to get a few drinks in from the stash he kept nearby, he just was hoping for a moment that didn’t involve ten other Guardians, her sisters, and at least either Ikora or Zavala pulling her away for something else important that’s come up. 

“Same goes for you,” Cayde said, leaning up against one of the many beams, waiting for a certain white and lilac ship to arrive. 

“Our Guardian found an interesting artifact out on her mission, she said it seemed like something that required a warlocks attention,” Ikora said. 

“Oh, meaning you two will probably be at that all night then, huh?” Cayde asked. 

“If it’s time alone with the Guardian that you’re looking for Cayde, don’t worry, she’s simply dropping it off with me, she’s already sent all of the details of where she found it and anything else I needed to know,” Ikora said. 

“What? Me? No, no, no, why would I want to be alone with her?” Cayde asked, “I mean, she’s one of my hunters, I wanna know if she’s alright or not, that’s all. No, you two can go talk creepy artifacts all you want.” 

“Cayde,” Ikora said, glaring at the hunter knowingly, “you know you can lie and talk your way out of things with many other people in the galaxy, but not me. I’ve known you far too long for that to still work.” 

“You’re not gonna let this one go, are you?” Cayde asked, “I’m just here to check up on my hunter, that’s all.” 

“Well, if it’s only just that, I suppose you wouldn’t mind then if I told you that despite it being against the rules that Zavala would enforce, I would have to disagree with him if he chose to enforce them with whatever you and Lady Thaya are,” Ikora said, earning a curious look from Cayde, “You’re different after you’ve been around her, in a better way, not quite as reckless as you usually are. She clearly sets something off in that head of yours that makes you think a bit more before you act. I don’t oppose it, I just want you to know that if someone were to find out that _did_ oppose it that you would have to be prepared for the consequences.” 

“I know how it works,” Cayde said, “Though you and big guy would have a hell of a hard time finding someone to replace me.” 

“You are certainly unique, Cayde,” Ikora said with a laugh, “But I trust that you also know what you are doing. Just be careful.” 

“Noted,” Cayde said with a nod. 

Before their conversation could continue, a ship hummed to life as it pulled into the hanger, landing perfectly on the ground in front of them. It took only a moment for the shining ship to deploy it’s unloading ramp and for Thaya and Orion to appear before them, the Guardian still fully armored up in her fur-lined and heavy Iron Lord armor. As soon as they approached the two vanguards, Thaya held out her hand as Orion transmatted a strange purple glowing artifact into her hand that she handed over to Ikora. 

“Thank you, Guardian, I’ll let you know what comes of this, you and your sisters may have to go investigate this,” Ikora said, “Enjoy your time off, it’s seldom that we get that anymore.” 

As Ikora left, Thaya took down her hood and released her helmet, revealing a face Cayde had comes to miss, her long burgundy hair falling out of the helmet and resting perfectly down her back in curls. The white fur of her armor contrasted against the rest of her icy blue skin and bright blue eyes. There was something obviously different about Thaya though as Cayde had automatically noticed, a slight scar beneath her right eye, faint to the natural eye but something Cayde couldn’t miss. It was something her ghost had clearly been healing over for a while, something too deep to heal all in one go or perhaps something that had been tainted with poison at the time of injury. But her smile was still just as bright, and despite being holed up in an icy mountain for a month, she was still easily one of his strongest hunters, wrapping her arms tightly around him in a hug. 

“Manage to keep the Tower from burning down while I was gone?” Thaya asked, separating herself from the vanguard. 

“Eh, you know, a fire here, a fire there, nothing I couldn’t handle,” Cayde said, “I see you got a souvenir from your time out there.” 

“What?” Thaya asked, confused, “Oh, the scar, yeah. Some nasty Fallen Captain tried to get a quick drop on me, killed him but he left me with something to remember him by. Orion has been working on it but I don’t mind it really, a reminder to always stay on my toes.” 

“At least your paint job doesn’t chip away,” Cayde said, pointing out a few worn-down scars of his own. 

“I think it adds character,” Thaya said, smiling still, “A Guardian needs a few scars every once in a while.” 

“And you have spent way too much time out in the middle of nowhere with an old Iron Lord, I’m surprised you’re not passing down your wise Iron Lord wisdom to me,” Cayde said. 

“...I really do sound like him a little bit don’t I?” Thaya asked. 

“If you start telling me about how noble and great the old Iron Lords were, I’m going to have to ask for your cape,” Cayde said, earning a playful punch in the shoulder from Thaya, “Wanna grab a few drinks and set the nobility aside for a little while?” 

“Actually, I’m _starving_ , all I ate while I was out there was meat from every single thing possible, just meat. I could go for something that has nothing to do with meat whatsoever,” Thaya said, “Maybe my favorite vanguard wants to finally take me to his favorite ramen place?” 

The minute she flashed those bright blue eyes at him, Cayde already knew he was done for. She could have asked him to capture the Traveller itself and bring it down to her if she so pleased and he would have done everything possible to bring it to her. Thaya didn’t even know it, but she already had Cayde wrapped around her finger and she didn’t even need to try. 

“I mean nothing says we can’t have a few drinks and eat at the same time,” Cayde said, “the bar and the shop are pretty close to each other.” 

“Sounds good to me, I haven’t had a good drink in a month either,” Thaya said, still beaming before bringing Cayde in for another hug and nuzzling her face right into the crook of his neck, something that he would have worried about someone else seeing if it weren’t for the lack of people in the hanger at this hour, “I missed you.” 

“Missed you too,” Cayde replied, keeping his voice low and wrapping an arm around her to give her a tight squeeze before letting go once again, “Let’s go get you something to eat that doesn’t involve mysterious dead creatures.” 

* * *

Despite all that The Red Legion took from the city, Cayde was glad that at least those bastards had managed to leave his two most cherished places behind - Jimmy’s Spicy Ramen place and the bar just a few buildings down that sells the best liquor from all corners of the galaxy, ranging from giving you a quiet night to making you black out the entire night. 

He kept it pretty low key, especially with Thaya joining him; a bottle of something he’d grabbed from Devrim in a lost bet on his last trip to the EDZ, and of course his favorite spicy ramen that Thaya insisted on having the exact same of despite her lack of usual want for spice. The ramen place had been spared too much damage surprisingly during the Cabal’s invasion, though there was now a gaping hole in the side of the place that had actually been turned into an outdoor patio of sorts - at least the owners made it work. 

“You know, I’ve always wondered, just how much alcohol can an Exo take?” Thaya asked, downing her ninth or tenth shot, honestly, Cayde had lost track. 

“Most can take a couple of bottles, takes a lot more for me though,” Cayde said with a proud smirk. 

“Oh really?” Thaya asked, grinning, “Have you ever tried stuff from the Reef then?” 

“Are you telling me Awoken have their own super-secret alcohol? Because if you are, then you really need to point me in the direction of said super secret alcohol,” Cayde said. 

“Maybe we do, maybe we don’t,” Thaya said with a wink and downing yet another shot shortly after filling her glass again. 

“How much alcohol can an Awoken take?” Cayde asked. 

“Haven’t you been around Zavala and Petra for hundreds of years?” Thaya asked. 

“Zavala’s not exactly the _‘have a drink and relax’_ kinda guy, and Petra always drinks me under the table,” Cayde said. 

“Depends on the alcohol,” Thaya said, “Stuff from here on Earth doesn’t really phase us much, we can take a lot of that. The stuff made just for you lovely Exo’s can affect us way sooner than the Earth stuff, but stuff from the Reef, that will knock us down in one bottle, maybe two if we’re heavy drinkers. My sister Sesrea tried to drink three bottles last year and she woke up the next night with no memory of the past week.” 

“Oh now I _really_ need to ask Petra very nicely about this stuff,” Cayde said, laughing. 

“You and Petra are close, huh?” Thaya asked. 

“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Cayde said. 

“You two ever...you know,” Thaya said, her gaze now avoiding Cayde’s and looking everywhere around the room. 

“Oh, no, no,” Cayde said with a laugh, “She would sooner cut the horn right off my head.” 

“Oh. Good.” Thaya said, eyes meeting Cayde’s once again and smiling. 

“Good, why good?” Cayde asked. 

“I just have a mission coming up, and uhm, I have to meet up with her. Didn’t know if...well, whatever, it’s fine, good to know,” Thaya said, trying her best to change the subject. 

Now, Cayde knew he may have played the fool many times in his long, _long_ life, but he was far from it. While it had been a good year or so since he’d ventured in the world of romance, casual or otherwise, he knew jealousy when he saw it. And Traveller knows if he wasn’t down his third bottle of liquor for the night that he wouldn’t have even thought about teasing Thaya about it, afraid of what he’d uncover though he’d never admit it. 

“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” Cayde said. 

“What?! Me? No, no way, I’m not a jealous person,” Thaya said, “I’m just...nosey, that’s all, ask my sisters, they’ll gladly tell you.” 

“Oh, I don’t think I need to ask them to tell that someone is a _teeny bit_ jealous,” Cayde said. 

“I am not jealous,” Thaya said, a dark blush of color coming to her cheeks and contradicting every word she spoke. 

“I think you are a little bit,” Cayde said with a laugh, “but don’t worry, you’re the only special lady in my life.” 

It was the silence between them and the color spreading across Thaya’s face that made Cayde realize how big of an _idiot_ he was for saying all he said out loud. 

“You’re the best hunter I’ve got,” Cayde said, trying to backtrack, “I’d even argue that you’re one of the best Guardians in the tower.” 

“Oh...right,” Thaya said, nodding as the color slowly drained from her face. 

“ _Oh, I’m such a moron_ ,” Cayde mumbled under his breath, lowering his head down to the table to hide from her gaze, “ _Just call her your sister while you’re at it.”_

“And you know I can hear you still, right?” Thaya asked. 

“...How much more alcohol do we have to drink for both of us to forget about this?” Cayde asked, raising his head back up again. 

“At least two more bottles,” Thaya said. 

“Good idea,” Cayde said, hopping down off of the stool at their table to head towards the bar. 

“Cayde,” Thaya said, stopping Cayde before he could walk away, “I...I wouldn’t cut the horn off your head, just so you know. I like it.” 

She smiled softly at him and Cayde knew if it weren’t for the steady beating thump of his motorized heart that it would most certainly beat just a little harder at the sight of her. 

* * *

Cayde had never seen Thaya inebriated to any extent, he’d only ever heard the few stray stories here and there from the hunter herself about when she’d have a little too much to drink or a bit of a buzz that made her do something a little embarrassing. But now, seeing Thaya just move to her own beat after a few too many drinks and Cayde’s own decision making not exactly at its highest, he wished he didn’t drink so much so he could enjoy the smiling and carefree Thaya at his side, leading the way as he walked her back to her room - a bad decision probably right off the bat given where their conversations had lead earlier in the night. 

But now it was the middle of the night, the Tower only full of insomniac Guardians or those coming in from a long patrol and not really at the height of their ability to pay attention to their surroundings, much less care about a drunken Exo and his Awoken companion who was holding his hand in hers and tugging him along the way. By Thaya’s door as her trusty companion Orion opened it without trouble and floated on inside, Thaya herself hesitated and held onto Cayde’s hand even tighter than before. 

“You gonna make it to your room okay?” Thaya asked, smile still bright but catching her balance ever so slightly as she turned to face him, trying her best to not let the alcohol win the battle over her balance. 

“M’fine, ‘Dance knows the way with the least amount of stairs,” Cayde said. 

“Alright,” Thaya said, a small nod and a brief look back at her open door before turning back to Cayde. 

He’d seen a look like Thaya’s a few hundred times in his long, long life, though granted most of the time that he had seen it, it was on a battlefield. A look of determination, her mind being made up and unable to be stopped or convinced to do anything else otherwise. 

She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him close, his hands hovering at her waist and unsure if he should just give in to the beautiful woman holding him or try and retain some sense of self-control. Thaya didn’t really give him a moment to think too long on that, her lips pressing up against where his should have been, enjoying one moment before repeating the act a few more times and Cayde not really remembering exactly when he let his hands hold her so much closer and feel her warmth mingling with his synthetic warmth. 

“Goodnight, Cayde,” She finally said as she slowly pulled away but let his hands stay on her in their embrace, a sly smile replacing her bright one before leaving him with one last kiss and untangling herself from him. 

“Thaya, I -” 

“Just...tonight, okay? Tomorrow...we’ll figure it out,” Thaya said, “Okay?” 

“...Okay,” Cayde said. 

Thaya kissed him on the cheek before disappearing into her room before Cayde could even process the lack of her touch, now more evident and obvious than ever. 

At least Cayde could say he tried to resist, though he knew now he couldn’t just walk away from Thaya, nor did he have any desire to. 

“I hate it when Ikora is right,” Cayde said to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, side note, it took me so long to finally get Bastion because guess who procrastinated all of the Saint-14 quests until I wanted the gun :D

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. The sisters don't get mentioned much but if anyone reading this wants to learn more about Thaya's sisters, I'd be happy to give them some more screen time :3


End file.
